Printing Tool

Overview

The Printing Tool is a comprehensive map production system that delivers professional-quality cartographic outputs with advanced layout customization, specialized Forest Practices Plan (FPP) integration, and intelligent print processing. This sophisticated tool combines ArcGIS print services with custom template management, automated geometry operations, real-time print area visualization, and specialized features including harvest masking, cart route integration, and dynamic label generation for professional forestry documentation.

Print Options

Layout Options

Layout Name	Orientation	DPI Support	Special Features
A4 Portrait	Portrait	150/300	Grid options: 100m, 1k, Auto, None
A3 Portrait	Portrait	150/300	Grid options: Auto, None
A4 Landscape	Landscape	150/300	Grid options: Auto, None
A3 Landscape	Landscape	150/300	Grid options: Auto, None
A3L Only Map	Landscape	150/300	Map only, no legend; BMP export supported
A4L Only Map	Landscape	150/300	Map only, no legend; BMP export supported
A2 Portrait	Portrait	150/300	Large format
A4 Portrait FPP Draft	Portrait	150/300	FPP draft layout with metadata and harvest mask
A4 Portrait FPP Production	Portrait	150/300	FPP production layout with metadata and harvest mask
A3 Portrait FPP Draft	Portrait	150/300	FPP draft layout with metadata and harvest mask
A3 Portrait FPP Production	Portrait	150/300	FPP production layout with metadata and harvest mask

Grid Options

For layouts that support grid lines (A4 Portrait, A3 Portrait, A4 Landscape, A3 Landscape), a segmented control lets you choose the grid overlay:

Option	Description
100m	100-metre grid (A4 Portrait only)
1k	1-kilometre grid (default for A4 Portrait)
Auto	Automatically selects grid spacing based on scale (default for A3/A4 Landscape, A3 Portrait)
None	No grid lines

Other layouts (map-only, A2, FPP) do not display grid options.

Format Options

Format	Description	Best Use Case
PDF	Portable Document Format	Professional documents, sharing
PNG8	8-bit PNG (smaller file size)	Web use, smaller files
PNG32	32-bit PNG (higher quality)	High-quality images
JPG	Joint Photographic Experts Group	Compressed images
BMP (Trimble GPS)	Bitmap with world file	Trimble GPS devices

INFO

The BMP (Trimble GPS) format is only available for the A3L Only Map and A4L Only Map layouts. It generates a ZIP file containing both a BMP image and a BPW world file for georeferenced use on Trimble GPS devices.

Resolution Settings

• 150 DPI: Standard quality for most uses
• 300 DPI: High quality for professional printing

Scale Options

Available scales: 500, 1000, 2500, 5000, 7500, 10000, 15000, 20000, 25000, 30000, 40000, 50000, 75000, 100000, 150000, 200000, 250000, 500000, 1000000

The scale dropdown auto-syncs with the current map zoom level. You can manually override it at any time.

Standard Print Workflow

Step-by-Step

1. Enter a title in the Title field (defaults to "STT Map")
2. Enter a recipient in the Prepared For field (optional)
3. Select a layout from the Layouts dropdown (see Layout Options)
4. Choose grid options if available for the selected layout (see Grid Options)
5. Select an output format (PDF, PNG8, PNG32, JPG, or BMP for map-only layouts)
6. Set the scale — the dropdown auto-syncs with the current map zoom, or select a specific scale manually
7. Set the DPI — 300 (default, high quality) or 150 (standard quality)
8. Toggle Show Print Area to preview the print extent on the map (optional but recommended)
9. Pan and zoom the map to position the content within the print area
10. Click the Print button — a loading indicator appears while the print service processes the request
11. The output file downloads automatically when ready

Print Area Preview

• Toggle Show Print Area to preview the print extent on the map
• An outlined rectangle shows the exact print boundaries
• The rectangle automatically updates in real time as you pan or zoom the map
• The extent size is calculated from the selected scale and layout dimensions
• Scale can be manually adjusted or synced to the map view

Forest Practices Plans (FPP)

FPP Workflow

1. Select an FPP layout from the Layouts dropdown (A4 or A3, Draft or Production)
2. Select the FPP name from the FPP Draft Name / FPP Number dropdown (fetched from the server)
3. The system automatically fetches and populates:
   • Harvest Area (in hectares)
   • Map Sheet information based on the map centre
   • Emergency Meeting Points (EMPs) based on the map centre
   • Map Centre Coordinates (easting and northing)
   • Prepared By (current username)
4. Enter Optional VAR if needed (auto-converted to uppercase)
5. Enter Coupe (Production layouts only; Draft layouts automatically set this to "Draft")
6. Enable Show Print Area to preview the extent with the harvest mask overlay
7. Click Print — the system filters FPP layers to the selected name, updates feature labels, generates the print, and downloads the output
8. After printing, all layer filters and labels are automatically restored to their original state

FPP-Specific Fields

When using FPP layouts (Draft or Production), additional fields become available:

• FPP Name/Number: Select from dropdown
  • Draft layout: Shows "FPP Draft Name" dropdown
  • Production layout: Shows "FPP Number" dropdown
• Emergency Meeting Points (EMPs): Auto-populated based on map centre; click the Refresh button to reload based on the current map position
• Optional VAR: Additional identifier field (converted to uppercase)
• Coupe: Production layouts only (Draft automatically sets to "Draft")

Harvest Area Masking

FPP layouts automatically create harvest area masks:

• Semi-transparent grey overlay outside harvest boundaries
• Only harvest areas remain unmasked
• Mask positioned above the land tenure layer
• Updates when the FPP name, scale, or map position changes

Dynamic Label Generation

When printing an FPP layout, the tool automatically:

1. Queries FPP Point, Line, and Polygon layer features within the print extent
2. Extracts TYPE_ID and LABEL values from each feature
3. Clones the layer renderers and updates symbol labels to match feature-specific labels
4. Applies the updated renderers to the print template
5. Also processes Sketch layers (Points, Lines, Polygons) with the same label pipeline
6. After printing (or on error), all original renderers and labels are restored to prevent any impact on the live map

Advanced Features

Cart Route Reports

1. Toggle the Cart Route Map switch to enable cart route reporting
2. A Cart Route Name dropdown appears — select the desired route
3. Cart route layers are automatically filtered to show only the selected route
4. When you print, a cart route report PDF is generated alongside the map output
5. Both files are downloaded automatically
6. Layer filters are reset after printing

Dynamic Layer Filtering

For FPP layouts:

• Automatically filters layers by selected FPP name
• Shows only relevant features for chosen plan
• Resets filters after printing

Real-Time Updates

• Print area updates during map navigation
• Scale synchronizes with map zoom level
• EMP data refreshes based on map center
• Manual scale override available

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Print area not showing	Toggle "Show Print Area" switch
Missing FPP fields	Select FPP Draft or Production layout
Cart route warning	Select a cart route or disable cart route option
Print fails	Check layer compatibility and try different format
Low resolution output	Confirm 300 DPI selection
Empty harvest area	Verify FPP name exists in selected layer type
EMP data missing	Click refresh button or pan map to new area
Scale not updating	Manually adjust scale or disable/re-enable print area

Error Messages

Common error scenarios:

• "Please select a cart route map or turn off the cart route map option": Choose cart route or disable feature
• Failed to fetch data: Network connectivity or service availability issues
• Layer filtering errors: FPP name may not exist in database

Usage Tips

1. FPP Workflows: Select FPP layout first, then choose name to auto-populate fields
2. Print Area: Enable preview before printing to verify extent
3. Scale Management: Use manual scale override for precise sizing
4. Layer Visibility: Ensure required layers are visible before printing. Turning off a layer group (e.g. Spray Layers, Wildfire Layers) in the layer panel will exclude all layers within that group from the print output.
5. Cart Routes: Only enable if generating route analysis reports
6. High Quality: Use 300 DPI and PDF format for professional outputs

Video Tutorial

Watch this guide on using the Printing Tool:

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